Breaking Down Virginia Tech Football's Top Concern vs. Every 2025 Opponent

Virginia Tech’s 2025 football schedule presents a mix of familiar foes and fresh challenges, with each game carrying its own unique concerns. From the season opener against South Carolina’s dynamic dual-threat quarterback LaNorris Sellers to a late-season showdown at Florida State amid a team reset, the Hokies must navigate a slate that will test their depth, discipline and composure. Here's a look at each of the 12 teams that Virginia Tech will play this season and one concern that the Hokies should be watching for gong into each matchup.

Week 1: South Carolina

Concern: LaNorris Sellers

If Sellers lives up to the preseason hype, this could be a long season opener in store for Virginia Tech. The redshirt sophomore posted a 69.8 quarterback rating (QBR), good for 40th in the country. Of last year's quarterbacks, the only three that the Hokies will play that are higher is Miami's Carson Beck (No. 12, 80.9 QBR), Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia (No. 26, 73.9 QBR) and North Carolina's Gio Lopez (No. 30, 72.7 QBR). Beck and Lopez transferred from Georgia and South Alabama, respectively, so expecting their numbers to take a dip with higher competition is a realistic outcome. Sellers improving his quarterback rating from his first true season is also a reasonable expectation.

Sellers is also a dual-threat quarterback, so restraining the redshirt sophomore from utilizing his legs should be atop Virginia Tech's priorities. The Gamecocks are 9.5-point favorites over the Hokies, so a victory isn't entirely out of a reach.

The schedule is set ✍️#HokieNation we can’t wait to see you later this year 😎#ThisIsHome pic.twitter.com/64SwDHmDIL
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) January 28, 2025

Week 2: Vanderbilt

Concern: Diego Pavia

Right off the bat, Virginia Tech draws two of the strongest quarterbacks it'll play all year. Pavia carved up defenses in 2024 with over 3,000 total yards and 28 total touchdowns, earning national attention for his ability to extend plays and strike downfield. The Hokies struggled at times last season with mobile quarterbacks, and Pavia’s improvisational style could exploit breakdowns in containment or missed tackles. Virginia Tech’s defensive front will need to stay disciplined and collapse the pocket without overcommitting.

Additionally, Pavia’s chemistry with tight end Eli Stowers presents a serious red-zone threat — Tech’s linebackers and safeties must communicate and cover well in space. If the Hokies can’t control the tempo and force Vanderbilt into third-and-long situations, Pavia has the tools to keep drives alive and frustrate Brent Pry’s defense. Limiting explosive plays and maintaining assignment integrity will be critical.

Week 3: Old Dominion

Concern: Avoiding a trap game

Though it was three years ago, Old Dominion did shock Virginia Tech, triumphing in 2022 behind a score from running back Blake Watson with 33 seconds to play. The goal here is for the Hokies to not look past the opponent and to instead ensure that the game is uncompetitive by halftime. Keeping the rhythm going allows for Virginia Tech to experiment in the second half if the game is outreach, offering fans another look at William "Pop" Watson or a gametime glance at Oklahoma State transfer Garret Rangel.

In theory, this game stands out as one of the easiest on the Hokies' schedule, but one that can trip them up if they're not paying attention.

Week 4: Wofford (FCS)

Concern: Same as Week 3

Virginia Tech cannot afford complacency against Wofford, despite the significant FCS classification gap and a 27–7 win back in 2022. The Hokies must maintain discipline early, limit turnover gifts and avoid a sluggish start that allows Wofford to gain confidence and rhythm.

Like against Old Dominion, this is a game that assuredly favors Tech; however, it has to take care of business. After all, the Hokies have lost to an FCS school before.

Week 5: NC State

Concern: Early conference form

This is the first true test of how Tech fares in the ACC this year and it's important to get off to the right start. Capturing a win at minimum would place the Hokies in the 3-2 or 4-1 bracket if they take care of business against the Monarchs and Terriers.

CJ Bailey is an intriguing matchup for the Hokies' defense and evokes some comparisons to Kyron Drones, when it comes to his flashes of talent and volatility. Bailey is also 6-foot-6, so seeing how Tech compares up against a taller quarterback will be a good litmus test for the defense. If the Hokies can get started off on their conference slate with a win, it'll be a good confidence booster. If not, it could underscore the beginning of a downturn.

Week 6: Wake Forest

Concern: Offensive consistency

While Wake Forest doesn't boast the strongest quarterback room in Robby Ashford and ex-Charlotte quarterback Deshawn Purdie, it's not one for the Hokies to simply gloss over. This is another game where the objective is to take care of business. The main key to that is dialing in the offense and ensuring at least a moderate level of consistency.

To me, this game feels like it will be a low-scoring affair where neither team eclipses the 25-point barrier. My colleague Kaden Reinhard thought the same in our "Way-Too-Early" preview, so the Hokies' concern is ensuring that their offense has enough juice to go through the full hour of gametime.

Week 7: Georgia Tech

Concern: Stopping the two-headed Hydra of Haynes King and Jamal Haynes

The two Haynes may very well be the toughest quarterback-running back combo that the Hokies go up against this season. Here's what Reinhard and I said on King in our "Way-Too-Early" preview:

"King will return in 2025 and, barring another injury that keeps him out of Week 7 like last season, he should be one of the most potent quarterbacks Virginia Tech faces this fall. In a shortened 11-game campaign, King appeared to be in constant control, throwing for 2,114 yards while completing an impressive 72.9% of his passes. That level of accuracy made it clear why he’s considered one of the top returning quarterbacks in the conference...

Adding to his strong resume is a quarterback rating of 78.6 from last season, which ranked 13th among all FBS quarterbacks. That number doesn’t just reflect his efficiency, but it also underscores how reliably he moved the chains and kept defenses off balance.

With another offseason to recover fully and sharpen his timing with his receivers, King could be even more dangerous in 2025. Virginia Tech will need to be sharp in coverage and generate pressure up front to disrupt his rhythm when they meet. If not, King has already proven he’s more than capable of picking apart even a well-coached secondary.

King is listed at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, so taking him down will be another challenge in itself alongside stopping his deadly accuracy. King is a true dual-threat quarterback: one that moves forcefully and challenges defenses not only when plays fall apart, but also on designed runs called from Georgia Tech’s offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner."

Add to that Jamal Haynes, who Athlon Sports tabbed to make their Preseason All-ACC First Team, and that creates a two-dimensional rushing attack that could spell trouble for the Hokies. Neutralizing one, or both, is how Virginia Tech stays in the game against the Yellow Jackets.

Week 9: Cal

Concern: The unknown

Though most college football rosters receive a revolving door, Cal presents a whole new challenge for the Hokies: players Tech's never faced, coaches the Hokies haven't played against and a team that Tech hasn't faced off against since 2003, when Aaron Rodgers and Bryan Randall started under center.

What alleviates that concern for the Hokies is that Cal is in the exact same quandary and has no continuity at quarterback. Their previous signal-caller, Fernando Mendoza, is now off to Indiana, leaving them with former Ohio State backup Devin Brown. On paper, Tech appears to be the better team, but a lack of head-to-head to go off of clouds this matchup significantly.

Week 10: Louisville

Concern: A repeat of the 2023 matchup and an unhealthy quarterback room

While the Cardinals' 2023 blowout came against an injured Virginia Tech unit, Louisville has been a stronger team than the Hokies for the past 15 years. That year, the Cardinals did something that Tech hasn't done since Tyrod Taylor's senior season in 2010: make the ACC title game.

If the quarterback room is unhealthy by the time Louisville comes to town, it could spell real trouble for the Hokies and possibly lead to a repeat of that 2023 blowout. Depth will matter by midseason, and without a steady presence under center, Virginia Tech may struggle to keep pace with a Louisville team that brings consistency, physicality, and a winning pedigree. The Cardinals have won eight or more games in three straight seasons and boast one of the ACC’s more well-rounded rosters.

They typically play clean, efficient football and capitalize on mistakes, something the Hokies can't afford to give away if they're short-handed or out of sync offensively. If Tech is forced to rotate quarterbacks or lean too heavily on the run due to injuries, their offensive ceiling is limited. This matchup will demand poise, depth, and execution, especially at the quarterback position.

Week 11: Florida State

Concern: Florida State's degree of variability

There’s more mystery than certainty surrounding Florida State heading into 2025. After a disastrous 2-10 campaign, the Seminoles hit the reset button, revamping the roster once again through the portal. Former Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos takes over under center, bringing electric dual-threat ability but plenty of questions about consistency and fit in a new system.

With a new coaching regime and a rebuilt roster, it's difficult to project what FSU will look like by November. For Virginia Tech, the concern isn’t any one player, but rather, the unpredictability of it all. A late-season road trip to Tallahassee could mean facing a team that’s either still unraveling or finally starting to click. Tech must prepare for multiple offensive looks, a hostile crowd and the possibility that FSU will be playing with nothing to lose. When the identity is unclear, the margin for error shrinks.

Week 12: Miami

Concern: Getting swept up by the 2024 finish

In some ways, the Miami game represented Virginia Tech football's 2024 season as a whole: flashes of promise that ultimately bore no fruit. It was a game that fueled thought processes of a 10-2 team if everything went right, if one-score games went in the Hokies' favor and if that overturned Hail Mary attempt counted as a touchdown.

However, maintaining composure and not letting the emotions of last season’s loss cloud their approach is the goal. The Hurricanes grabbed a controversial victory last year and while there may be extra motivation in the locker room, channeling that energy into disciplined, high-level execution is paramount for the Hokies. Virginia Tech should aim to take control early, play clean football and finish strong, but avoid letting the desire to make up for 2024 disrupt the game plan. Staying sharp and poised will be the main key to beating Miami, who should be ACC contenders once again this season.

Week 13: Virginia

Concern: Complacency

Going up against a squad that Virginia Tech has beaten 23 out of the last 25 times should be comfortable for the Hokies if they sit at 5-6 and need the win to get into a bowl game. However, being complacent and settling is one of the key factors that cost Tech multiple times last year. For example, against Syracuse, the Hokies' head coach Brent Pry opted not to try to rush down the field to set up kicker John Love for a potential game-winning field goal, instead opting to take his chances in overtime, a game that Virginia Tech eventually lost.

Given that, the Hokies should approach the 'Hoos how they approach any other opponent: play calm and collected, and take care of business. If they can do that, they should walk out with a victory in the regular season finale.